John graves



{No Model.)

J.VGRAVES.

WHEEL. V No. 539,895. Patented May 28, 1895.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN GRAVES, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND LOUIS MONJO, OF SAME PLACE. l

WHEEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 539,895, dated May 28, 1895.

Application filed March 16, 1894. Serial No.503,964. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, JOHN GRAVES, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings, State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Wheels, of which the following is a specification. Y

My invention relates to improvements in wheels.

Especially the invention relates to wheels which are formed of sheet metal, and to the methods of making such. Said sheet metal wheels are especiallyadapted to use with sugar wagons, tram cars, and many other kinds of vehicles, on account of the combined lightness and strength of sheet metal wheels, and their cheapness as compared with cast iron. wheels.

Not only is my process of pressing wheels in dies a cheaper operation than that of casting, but it also saves the cost of tires of harder metal, or the cost of chilling the periphery of the cast wheel to fit it for a tire; and, whereas, cast wheels are liable to be cracked by any blow or shock, the sheet metal wheels are tough and will not break under blows or shocks. The sheet metal wheels are also much lighter and can be, therefore, packed and shipped much cheaper and easier than the cast wheels.

Referring to the drawings which accompany the specification to aid the description, Figure lis a face view of a completed wheel. Fig. 2 is a section of the same on the line x of Fig. l, but showing the hub only partly completed. Fig. rvois a broken sectional de tail showing a finished hub. Fig. tis a broken section of the web of the wheel on the line 2 2 of Fig. 2.

The wheels are formed by the following method: A plate of sheet steel of proper thickness is pressed between dies and dished and shaped to the form shown in the section, Fig. 2-that is to say, by the pressure of .suitable dies I form a wheel that is provided with the flange ct, thread b, web c, all in one integral piece of sheet metal. After pressing toshape a hole d is cut out of the center, to be fitted with a hub, as hereinafter described.

In the case of small wheels the curving and dishing of the sheet metal will of themselves give the necessary stiffness, but in the caseof large Wheels I prefer to further stien them by ribs or corrugations, shown at c in elevation andf in section, Fig. 2. Said ribs or corrugations e, f are formed by corresponding surfaces on the dies at the same time that the general body of the wheel is shaped. In Fig. l I indicate eight of such ribs or corrugations.

To form the hub a tube g, provided with a circumferential shoulder h, is fitted inthe hole d. Said tube g has the part that will projectthe end of the sleeve j, (Fig. 3) thereby hold-V ing both tube and sleeve tightly in place, and forming a strong hub.

Now, having described my improvements, I claim as my invention- 1. A wheel formed of a sheet metal web, ange and tread all in one integral sheet of metal, corrugations in the web substantially radial to the center 0f the wheel, and a hub consisting of an inner and an outer tube, whereof the inner tube anges against one side of the web, and upsets over the outer tube at the opposite end, substantially as described.

2. A wheel formed of a sheet metal web, flange and tread in one integral sheet of metal, corrugations e in said web arranged substantially radially to said wheel, and a hub formed of an inner tube which passes through an eye in the web and llangedagainst one side of said web and of an outer tube which flanges against the other side-of said web and is held by the JOHN GRAVES.

Witnesses:

PATRICK A. FAY, DAVID WALTER BROWN. 

